Nearly $670,000
in scholarships awarded
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Berks County Community Foundation celebrated the awarding of nearly $670,000 in scholarships this year at our Scholarship Luncheon on June 6.
That brings the total amount of scholarships awarded since the Community Foundation's inception in 1994 to $12,345,378.
Murphy also celebrated the achievements of the scholarship recipients and reminded them that they will continue to earn the awards.
"You will continue to earn them as you move forward in your education with perseverance and dedication," Murphy said.
Keynote speaker John Loyack, president of Alvernia University (pictured above), advised recent graduates to express their gratitude to those who believed in them. He said those are the people who allowed them to get the education that will become the engine that will let them become who they want to be.
Also at the luncheon, Reading Eagle Editor Dave Mowery applauded the winners of this year's Berks' Best awards. This is the 22nd year of the Berks' Best scholarship project, which is a collaborative initiative of the Reading Eagle, Berks County Community Foundation, and the Berks County Intermediate Unit. This project highlights teenagers in our community who study, work, and share their talents with others and the community without the widespread recognition they deserve.
The winners are chosen by dedicated judges who come from local businesses, community organizations, and colleges. Judges say selecting winners from such a group of outstanding high school students continues to be an exciting and challenging task.
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$143,500 in grants
awarded to improve health;
more funds available
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The Home Health Care Foundation Fund of Berks County Community Foundation has awarded $143,500 in grants to programs that address health-related issues among residents of Berks and nearby counties.
Grant recipients in this round of funding include Berks Encore, Western Berks Ambulance Association, Opportunity House, the YMCA of Reading & Berks County, and John Paul II Center for Special Learning.
Pictured above, a Berks Encore volunteer delivers “Meals on Wheels.” In this round of funding, the Home Health Care Foundation Fund awarded a grant for Berks Encore’s pilot program that will deliver medically-tailored meals to those living with severe illness.
This fund has distributed $658,700 in grants since it was established at the Community Foundation in 2020.
Another round of health-related funding is available this summer. Organizations from around the region are encouraged to apply.
One or more of the following purposes must be met to be considered for a grant:
1. Organizations and programs that help residents recover from illness or disability at home to prevent them from needing in-patient medical care;
2. Programs and activities that support preventative healthcare for residents and overall community health to reduce the need for in-patient medical care;
3. Organizations that provide health-related charity care to residents.
Preference will be given to organizations and programs that help individuals remain at home.
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Power of the Purse announces
grants at 10th anniversary
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Pictured here, from left to right, students Julianna, Bella, Cynthia, and Katie will be part of the Girl Talk 101 club at John Paul II Center for Special Learning. The Power of the Purse in Berks County Fund is providing the club with startup money.
Administered by Berks County Community Foundation, this charitable fund has had 89 female members since its inception. The women have donated a total of $385,983 to 24 organizations over 10 years.
A group of women started the Power of the Purse in Berks County Fund in 2012 to improve the lives of local women and children. The group awarded its first grants in 2013.
They marked their 10th year of giving with a ceremony at The Nature Place, the headquarters of conservation group Berks Nature at 575 St. Bernadine St. in Reading.
“The donations of our members are combined and targeted toward specific programs so that we have a greater local impact than we would if we each gave individually without a coordinated effort,” said Chiara Sockel Renninger, the group’s founder.
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Oley Valley Middle School
uses video software purchased
with grant to win competition
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Berks County Community Foundation's classroom mini-grant program awarded $3,075 in grants in 2021 to five schools, including Oley Valley Middle School. The middle school used the grant to purchase video editing software.
Recently, students used that software to create a video for the "What's So Cool About Manufacturing?” contest, and they received the "Outstanding Career Pathway" award for their work on the project with American Crane & Equipment Corporation.
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Galfand Berger LLP announced that Gabriela Raful, Senior Partner at Galfand Berger and a board member at Berks County Community Foundation, has been named to the 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.
Raful focuses her practice on personal injury, Workers’ Compensation, products liability, and Social Security Disability law. She is a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She is fluent in Spanish. Raful is committed to being active in nonprofit communities. In 2019, the Pennsylvania Bar Association presented her with the Pro Bono Award for her legal services to indigent individuals. She is a member of the Berks County Bar Association, where she serves as vice president and chair of the Minority Law Section.
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To apply for a grant, use our online application system, which you can access here. You must create an account to access the system.
The following opportunities are available at this time (with deadlines if applicable):
Boyertown Area Charitable Giving Program: Deadline 8/15/2022
The Boyertown Area Charitable Program provides grants for programs that improve the quality of life for the residents of the Boyertown Area School District. For questions regarding this opportunity, please email Kevin Lugo, Energy and the Environment Program Officer, at [email protected]. Apply here.
Russell L. Hiller Charitable Trust: Deadline 8/15/2022
The Russell L. Hiller Charitable Trust provides grants for programs that improve the quality of life for the residents of the Governor Mifflin School District. For questions regarding this opportunity, please email Kevin Lugo, Energy and the Environment Program Officer, at [email protected]. Apply here.
Home Health Care Foundation Fund: Deadline 8/15/2022
The Home Health Care Foundation Fund provides grants for organizations and programs that serve Berks County and/or those counties that are contiguous to it (Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Schuylkill). Preference will be given to organizations that serve Berks County residents.
One or more of the following purposes must be met to be considered for a grant:
1. Organizations and programs that help residents recover from illness or disability at home to prevent them from needing in-patient medical care;
2. Programs and activities that support preventative healthcare for residents and overall community health to reduce the need for in-patient medical care;
3. Organizations that provide health-related charity care to residents.
Preference will be given to organizations and programs that help individuals remain at home. For questions regarding this opportunity, please email Monica Reyes, Health and Human Services Program Officer, at [email protected]. Apply here.
Arthur O. & Clara M. Schlegel Memorial Fund
This fund provides grants that support the medical costs of physical differences in Berks County children whose guardians are unable to meet such expenses. Expenses that may be covered include direct and indirect medical expenses, such as travel costs associated with treatment. Apply here.
Bridge Fund
This fund provides grants of less than $1,000 to address critical needs that place juveniles at increased risk of entering the foster care system or the juvenile detention center. Apply here.
Cystic Fibrosis Fund of Berks County
This fund supports the needs of individuals with cystic fibrosis, including both direct and indirect medical expenses and necessary, but ancillary, expenses related to treatment. Apply here.
Dental Treatment Fund
Grants support dental treatment for Berks or Schuylkill County residents who cannot pay for such treatment, in honor of the Berks Schuylkill Dental Hygienists Association. Apply here.
Friends of the Berks County Public Libraries Fund
This fund distributes grants for special projects and emergency needs at Berks County’s public libraries. Apply here.
Ira M. Becker Fund
This fund provides grants to educate young men (up to age 30) in Berks County, one at a time. These funds can be used for educational purposes but not for tuition. An individual may apply for a grant, or a caseworker or court official may also apply on behalf of an individual. Apply here.
Jess's Sunshine Fund
This fund provides grants to support families who are residents of the Boyertown Area School District with dependent adult or minor children who have special needs arising from a long-term catastrophic illness or injury. Apply here.
Margaret B. Moeller Memorial Fund for Alzheimer's Home Care Companions
This fund provides grants for families in the Boyertown Area School District with individuals who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia to obtain the services of in-home care companions, aides, or other providers of respite care. Apply here.
Pets in Need Fund and the Darryl and Susanne Shoff Fund
These funds provide grants for veterinary care for animals in life-threatening situations. Applicants must be residents of Berks County and be referred to the funds by their veterinarian. Apply here.
Susan E. Kraus/Robert W. Gill Fund
This fund provides grants for recently discharged adults who were once in foster care who either lived in a Berks County foster home and/or were Berks County residents at the time of their placement in foster care. These grants are to assist them with transitional housing costs in general and/or educational expenses. Apply here.
To apply for a grant, use our online application system, which you can access here. You must create an account to access the system.
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Law Foundation of Berks County
accepting grant applications
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The Law Foundation of Berks County is accepting grant applications for the 2022 funding cycle. Nonprofit organizations working on issues related to equal access to justice, providing legal services to low-income or vulnerable members of our community, improving the Court system in Berks County, or engaging in other law-related or educational activities, especially those benefitting local youth, are encouraged to apply. Grant awards typically do not exceed $15,000 per year. The application deadline is Friday, July 1, 2022.
The Law Foundation is a nonprofit corporation established by Berks County’s legal community to support charitable work and improve access to justice. It is not affiliated with Berks County Community Foundation. We post this opportunity as a courtesy to our nonprofit community. For questions, contact Kori A. Walter, Executive Director of the Law Foundation of Berks County, at [email protected] or 610.375.4591 ext. 6.
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The mission of Berks County Community Foundation is to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life for the residents of Berks County.
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Berks County Community Foundation
237 Court St., Reading PA 19601
610.685.2223
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This e-newsletter is issued monthly and is the only place where we comprehensively compile all current funding opportunities. |
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Berks County Community Foundation develops, manages and distributes funds for charitable purposes in the community. The official registration and financial information of Berks County Community Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1.800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. |
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